Marble Floors: Where To Put Them & What To Do With Them

Marble floors may look good, but they come with a few caveats.

Marble is often associated with luxury, and elegance. Think marble floors covering a grand entrance. In essence, if you have it in your home, you are likely wealthier- so the notoriety of marble says.

But as marble becomes more affordable, it becomes more popular. Therefore used far more than it used to be in the past. But the stigma remains, that if you want luxury, you get marble. Why is this so? Well, suppose you take a look at history. Much of the original usage of marble was by the Greeks, who used it to build the Parthenon, the Temple of Zeus, and many other monuments and buildings that honored Gods. The Taj Mahal, Washington Monument, and the pillars of the New York public library are all made of marble.

This is a direct associate of marble with the idea of opulence. Relating it directly with a higher power, or an authority, or even simple a knowledge.

This is great news for homeowners really… Because it is now more affordable than it ever has been, yet still carries that same air of luxury. While this may draw homeowners to it, there are a few drawbacks, and a few warnings we must give you.

Be careful of where you put marble floors in your home.

Marble is a porous stone, and can stain easier than stones like granite. It should be used in areas with lower traffic as it can be stained by water or acidic foods and drinks, and can also be worn down by foot traffic. If you don’t use the front entrance of your home on a daily basis, this may be the perfect place to put marble flooring. This means that you typically enter your home through the garage, mudroom, or a side door. This will help keep the marble flooring intact for longer.

In the kitchen

Marble flooring isn’t typically a good idea for a kitchen. It isn’t even recommended for many kitchen countertops either. Unless it is in a spot in the kitchen that doesn’t usually get food on it. This might mean a book counter, or a place where you store pantry items, or simply a section of the room that gets less use than other parts of the kitchen. Often the kitchen island is used more than anything, you wouldn’t want marble there. Nor would you want it anywhere near the stove, where oils and things like tomato sauce are frequently splattered.

In the bathroom

More often than not, marble is used in the bathroom. Again, beware of this. If it is too close to the shower, it can create watermarks in the stone. Usually, if you seal the marble well enough and frequently enough, you can avoid problems such as watermarks. The point is to be aware of that possibility, and keep an eye on it.

Many homeowners are loving marble flooring in their bathrooms. This may actually be the best place to put marble flooring. Other than maybe your front entryway.

The reason I say this is because, even though you use it daily, you spend less time in the bathroom than other places in the house. You are also not usually wearing shoes, which helps with the wear and tear. Steam from the shower will rise, leaving it unaffected. Place a mat in front of the shower so your wet body doesn’t create water pools, which could seep into the flooring if it is not cleaned up right away.

Marble flooring isn’t hard to maintain

Everything above makes it sound like marble flooring is a hassle to maintain. But it really isn’t. It is much like any other surface or flooring in your home. It sees traffic, and wear over time. You just have to maintain it.

Often times this simply requires sealing it properly every year to two years, and being mindful of any liquid spills.

There are many designs for marble floors

There has been a trend in changing up the basic marble tiles, and putting in something different. The two pictures above are simple examples of this. You can click here for an extensive picture guide of some unique and beautiful marble flooring designs.

Here is a shortlist of easy, but unique things you can do when putting in marble floors: